The U.S. Marine Corps‘ Task Force Southwest has demonstrated a new small unmanned aerial system designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions during a flight test held at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
The Instant Eye UAS works to capture imagery of battlespaces, perform reconnaissance and conduct airstrikes on selected targets, the service branch said Monday.
The drone is designed to launch and land at a 90-degree angle and equipped with a rotary wing that can support movement in tightly-confined spaces.
Isaac Brown, an intelligence specialist at Task Force Southwest, said Instant Eye will help Marines to scout ahead of obstacles and support operations in Afghanistan.
“[Instant Eye] reduces the need for forward observation… and can take some of the risk out of patrolling,” said Shaun Sorensen, a SUAS instructor with the Training and Logistics Support Activity.
Marines have practiced the use of Instant Eye at night, through and around obstacles inside and outside closed spaces to help boost the units flying skills in preparation for a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan.
